


Darkest Night

by issybird



Series: Prompts From New Albion and Beyond [1]
Category: An Atompunk Opera: The New Albion Guide to Analogue Consciousness - Shapera
Genre: Angst, Hurt, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 09:20:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/issybird/pseuds/issybird
Summary: Lee has a nightmare.





	Darkest Night

All Lee could hear was screaming. 

The angels were attacking. Mary had lost her children and her husband in the last attack, and she was out there fighting, guns smoking in her hands. Yasser Latef and the Blood Red Dogs were leading the charge, and Lee watched with a heavy heart as Adrian ran forward, a gun in his hand as he tried to help, tried to make a difference. With everyone fighting, and everyone in danger, there was no way either of them could avoid the fight. They were surrounded, attacked on all sides, and it was easy to lose sight of Adrian despite his best efforts. Until he heard him scream.

Lee turned, searching desperately. The moment his eyes landed on Adrian, his heart dropped to his stomach. One of the angels had their claws in him, blood streaming down his torso, and the sight of so much blood on his beloved made him lightheaded. Lee was stumbling, making his way over there, but he wasn’t fast enough.

Adrian collapsed, his hands coming up to weakly grasp at the wound in his chest as Lee shot at the angel, scaring it off. By the time he was falling to his knees, Adrian was pale, his skin cold, and it felt like the ground was falling from under Lee’s feet.

“Adrian, you’ll be okay, I promise,” Lee said, his voice shaking as he pressed his hands to the wound, as if he could stop the bleeding. Adrian gave him a weak smile, his eyes dazed.

“Lee,” he managed. His voice was barely audible. He didn’t get the chance to say much else; Lee could see the life leaving his eyes, and he felt himself go numb. 

Lee shot up in bed, panting and gasping, his eyes looking frantically around the dark room he slept in. A dream. It had all been a dream, Adrian was alive, he was okay. His hands were shaking as he reached up, running a hand through his hair. It was just a dream, but he needed to find Adrian, he needed to make sure. They both had nightmares most nights, and if one was gone, the other could always find them in the communications room where Lee kept his paints. The shaking hadn’t subsided as he pulled on a shirt, making his way down the hall. He had to see Adrian. He had to make sure he was okay. The images from the dream wouldn’t leave his mind, and he knew the only thing to stop it would be the man himself. 

“Adrian?” he said softly, knocking on the door before pushing it open. “I…I had a nightmare about you, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said, turning the light on. 

The room was empty. Lee stared into the open area, and his legs carried him forward, sitting him down in a chair in front of the main console. And he remembered. 

Adrian was gone. He’d left through the portal weeks ago. Lee remembered pleading with him, begging him not to do it, begging him to stay, but Adrian was nothing if not stubborn. 

“I’ll be okay,” Adrian had said, cupping Lee’s cheek in his hand and giving him a gentle smile. “I’ll be back before you know it.” He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Lee’s lips, and Lee poured everything he could into that kiss. Every bit of love, and affection, and adoration that he could muster.

He watched him walk forward, and disappear, and...and that was it. 

Adrian missed the time that he’d said he’d return by, and the crowd around the gate dissipated, leaving Lee all alone.

Hours passed. Then days, and weeks, and...and Lee held hope. Maybe it was foolish, maybe it was naive, but if he didn’t think that Adrian was coming back, what did he have to live for?

Sitting in the communications room on his own, though, staring at the last picture he’d taken of Adrian in front of him, he knew. He couldn’t deny the truth anymore, and something inside of him snapped, cold silence and denial giving way to burning tears and sobs that wracked his body as he covered his mouth, trying desperately to hold it in.

Adrian was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Thess, who gave me the prompt, “I had a nightmare about you and just wanted to make sure you’re okay” and Leedrian! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thanks again to Noël, NADS, and Mr. Paul Shapera.


End file.
